Gildan Receives Bronze Class Distinction in the 2020 SAM Sustainability Yearbook

MONTREAL, February 4, 2020 /3BL Media/ – Gildan Activewear Inc. (GIL: TSX and NYSE) is pleased to announce that the Company has been included in the 2020 SAM Sustainability Yearbook for the eighth-consecutive year. This year, Gildan received a Bronze Class distinction signifying that Gildan achieved a mark between 5% to 10% of the top scores in the Textiles, Apparel and Luxury Goods industry. Gildan is the only North American company to be included amongst the 2020 Sustainability Leaders in this sector.

The Yearbook, one of the world’s most comprehensive publications on corporate sustainability, showcases the sustainability performance of the world's largest companies in each industry as determined by their score in the annual SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA). S&P Global, which acquired the ESG Ratings business from RobescoSAM in 2019, assessed over 4,700 companies across 61 industries this year with the goal of identifying those that exemplify leading corporate sustainability practices and a focus on long-term growth drivers.

“We are proud to be part of the SAM Sustainability Yearbook once again and be recognized for our dedication to operating ethically and our emphasis on sustainability accros all levels of our operations,” said Claudia Sandoval, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship at Gildan.

“We congratulate Gildan on its Bronze Award in The Sustainability Yearbook 2020, which showcases the best performing companies among industry peers and in terms of financially material ESG metrics. As the Corporate Sustainability Assessment constantly raises the bar, so the Yearbook remains a highly credible source of corporate sustainability insights. This year it is launched under the S&P Global brand, and with increased public access to the SAM ESG Scores of all companies,” said Manjit Jus, Global Head of ESG Research and Data at S&P Global.

About Gildan

Gildan is a leading manufacturer of everyday basic apparel which markets its products in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, under a diversified portfolio of Company-owned brands, including Gildan®, American Apparel®, Comfort Colors®, Gildan® Hammer™, Prim + Preux®, Gold Toe®, Anvil® by Gildan®, Alstyle®, Secret®, Silks®, Kushyfoot®, Secret Silky®, Therapy Plus™, Peds® and MediPeds®, and under the Under Armour® brand through a sock licensing agreement providing exclusive distribution rights in the United States and Canada. Our product offering includes activewear, underwear, socks, hosiery, and legwear products sold to a broad range of customers, including wholesale distributors, screenprinters or embellishers, as well as to retailers that sell to consumers through their physical stores and/or e-commerce platforms, and to global lifestyle brand companies.

Gildan owns and operates vertically-integrated, large-scale manufacturing facilities which are primarily located in Central America, the Caribbean Basin, North America, and Bangladesh. With approximately 53,000 employees worldwide Gildan operates with a strong commitment to industry-leading labour and environmental practices throughout its supply chain in accordance with its comprehensive Genuine Responsibility™ program embedded in the Company's long-term business strategy. More information about the Company and its corporate citizenship practices and initiatives can be found at www.gildancorp.com and www.genuineresponsibility.com, respectively.

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